1. (superl.) Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.

2. (superl.) Destitute of forge or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt.

3. (superl.) Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason; conceited; puffed up; inflated.

4. (superl.) Showy; ostentatious.

5. (n.) Vanity; emptiness; -- now used only in the phrase in vain.

Gascon abortive absurd airy arrogant asinine barren baseless boastful boasting bootless bootlessly braggart bragging catchpenny cocky complacent conceited consequential counterproductive coxcombical dandyish delusive delusory doomed effete egocentric egoistic egotistical empty etiolated fanfaron fanfaronading fatuitous fatuous feckless flimsy foolish foppish foredoomed fribble fribbling frivolous frothy fruitless fruitlessly futile futilely gasconading groundless haughty hollow idle ill-founded improperly in vain inadequate inane ineffective ineffectual inefficacious inoperative invalid light misleading narcissan narcissine narcissistic narcistic nugacious nugatory of no force otiose overproud overweening paltry petty pointless profitless proud puny self-admiring self-advertising self-applauding self-approving self-assuming self-complacent self-conceited self-congratulating self-congratulatory self-content self-contented self-delighting self-endeared self-esteeming self-flattering self-glorious self-gratulating self-gratulatory self-important self-lauding self-loving self-respecting self-satisfied self-sufficient self-vaunting shallow silly slender slight smug sterile stuck-up superficial thrasonic thrasonical trifling trite trivial unavailable unavailing unbased unfounded ungrounded unproductive unprofitable unsuccessful unsuccessfully unsupportable unsupported unsustainable unsustained untenable unwarranted useless vacuous vainglorious vainly valueless vapid vaporing vaunting void windy without basis without foundation worthless